Maiden Voyage For World’s First Electric & Autonomous Container Ship - Yara Birkeland
![Credit: Kongsberg Maritime](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/credit-kongsberg-maritime-127605.jpg)
Yara Birkeland, the world's first electric and self-propelled container ship has set off for its maiden voyage in the Oslo fjord in Norway.No Friday, today, the Norwegian Prime Minister was given a tour by the CEO of Yara, Svein Tore Holsether.Holsether said: "We are proud to be able to showcase the world's first fully electric and self-propelled container ship. It will cut 1,000 tonnes of CO2 and replace 40…
Construction of U.S. First Large-scale Offshore Wind Farm Starts
![Iberdrola breaks ground on Vineyard Wind 1, the United States' first large-scale offshore wind farm - Credit: Iberdrola](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/iberdrola-breaks-ground-on-vineyard-127604.jpg)
Spanish renewables giant Iberdrola has informed that it has started construction work for the Vineyard Wind 1, the United States' first large-scale offshore wind farm.The offshore wind farm will be located off the coast of Massachusetts. It is 25 times larger than an existing offshore wind farm in Rhode Island, which has 30 MW installed capacity and supplies electricity to 17,000 homes.With 800 MW capacity…
Legal Background Behind New Nord Stream 2 License Demand
![On September 10, 2021, the sections of the second Nord Stream 2 pipeline laid from the German shore and Danish waters was connected in a so-called above water tie-in. The opposing pipe strings were lifted from the seabed by the lay barge Fortuna and the pipe ends were cut and fitted together. The welding to connect the two lines took place on a platform located above the water on the side of the vessel. Then the connected pipeline was lowered to the seabed as one continuous string.©NordStream2](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/on-september-10-2021-the-127600.jpg)
Germany's energy regulator has temporarily halted the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, requiring the Swiss-based, Gazprom-led consortium behind the infrastructure to form a German subsidiary to secure a licence.Following are some of the legal considerations associated with the move by Germany's Federal Network Agency, which aims to strengthen its oversight of the project in…
Ithaca Energy Charters Solstad Offshore Platform Supplier
![Credit: Solstad Offshore](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/credit-solstad-offshore-127593.jpg)
Norwegian offshore support vessel firm Solstad Offshore has secured a term contract for the platform supply vessel Far Symphony in the UK North Sea.The contract is with the UKCS-focused oil and gas company Ithaca Energy.Under the charter, the platform supplier, equipped with DP 2 from Kongsberg, will be supporting Ithaca’s UK North Sea operations for a period of one year firm, with further options up to one year.
New Zero-emissions Electric Ferry to Be Built in Portugal
![(Image: Shift Clean Energy)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-shift-clean-energy-127585.png)
Southern Europe's first all-electric ferry is being built by Navaltagus Reparação e Construção Naval, a member of Grupo ETE, in Portugal.Designed by Vera Navis Naval Architects, the zero-emissions ferry is being built and will operate in Aveiro, Portugal.Shift Clean Energy and Nave De Luz Lda (NDL) are co-leading a consortium to supply and install electrical components for the new vessel. Additional members of the consortium include Danfoss Editron…
White House Lauds Easing of Supply Chain Clogs, Cites Shipping Competition Concerns
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The White House on Wednesday lauded improvements in clogged U.S. supply chains, with more goods moving than ever before, but said more work was needed to ensure fair competition in a global shipping sector dominated by three alliances of ocean carriers.In a new blog, the White House National Economic Council said the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), an independent agency, was already investigating excessive shipping fees…
Leading the Charge
![Crowley’s new eWolf will be the first all-electric tugboat in the U.S. (Image: Crowley)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/crowleys-new-ewolf-will-be-127590.png)
Alternatives to fossil fuels are emerging throughout the maritime universe, and vessels working in U.S. rivers, waterways and harbors are at the cusp on this trend. While the alternative fuels spectrum is wide, battery power and electrification—a technology that has seen a decade of shipboard applications already—is particularly suited for smaller vessels.Crowley Maritime Corp will be taking delivery of a completely electric tugboat…
Euronav Concludes B50 Biofuel Blend Trial
After a successful completion of a B30 biofuel blend test on the Suezmax Statia (2006 – 150,205 dwt), Euronav has now successfully concluded a B50 biofuel blend…
Castor Maritime Announces New Charter Agreements
Cyprus-based shipping company Castor Maritime Inc. announced it has secured new charter agreements for several of its bulk carrier vessels.The 2010-built Panamax…
Stolt Tankers Reports 6% CO2 Emissions Reduction
![(Photo: Stolt Tankers)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-stolt-tankers-127587.jpg)
Latest figures show that Stolt Tankers has reduced its fuel consumption by 6% compared to 2020. The related reduction in CO2 emissions is equivalent to removing 18,000 cars from the roads for a year.To support the shipping industry’s drive to reduce its carbon footprint, in 2020 Stolt Tankers published its ambition to reduce its carbon intensity by 50% by 2030 (relative to 2008) and to become a fully…
Eagle Bulk Names Tsoutsoplides Chief Strategy Officer
![(Photo: Eagle Bulk)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-eagle-bulk-127586.jpg)
U.S.-based dry bulk shipping company Eagle Bulk Shipping on Thursday announced ithas appointed Costa Tsoutsoplides to the newly created chief strategy officer position. In this role, Tsoutsoplides will have broad responsibilities in developing Eagle’s corporate strategy as well as leading capital markets initiatives and overseeing ESG and investor relations. Tsoutsoplides will also retain his existing responsibilities…
Plaquemines Port and APM Terminals Ink Operating Agreement
![(Image: Plaquemines Port)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-plaquemines-port-127583.png)
Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District (PPHTD) and APM Terminals have announced a Letter of Intent whereby APM Terminals will become the operator of the newly planned Container Terminal and Intermodal Rail Facility and external parties will be the investor in the new port. Plaquemines Port and their financial partners will manage the financial activities associated with the infrastructure development…
MacGregor to Supply Hatch Covers for 12 New Containerships
![(Photo: MacGregor)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-macgregor-127581.jpg)
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured an order to supply hatch covers for 12 new 3,055 TEU containerships. The ships will be built by Japan Marine United (JMU) for the Taiwanese shipping company Wan Hai Lines. Scope of supply includes design and key components, fabrication and delivery of hatch covers to JMU.The order is booked into Cargotec's fourth quarter 2021 order intake, with deliveries planned…
Novaco Upgrades Its NovacoBridge Navigation Management Solution
![Novaco Director, Captain Costas Zervas (Photo: Novaco)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/novaco-director-captain-costas-zervas-127580.jpg)
Navigation services provider Novaco Limited is set to release a major update to its integrated navigation management solution, NovacoBridge. The update will be launched this month at Expomaritt Exposhipping Istanbul 2021.Used by mariners and businesses across the commercial and leisure markets, NovacoBridge provides a comprehensive all-in-one suite of navigation tools as well as individual modules for vessels and shore-based offices.Costas Zervas…
Shipping Rate Surge Threatens Global Economy Recovery, UNCTAD Says
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A surge in container shipping rates poses a threat to the global economic recovery, with small countries dependent on deliveries by sea expected to be hardest hit by a spike in import prices, U.N. agency UNCTAD said on Thursday.A surge in demand for consumer goods during the pandemic has created major supply bottlenecks around the world, which has impacted the supply of container ships and boxes to…
China's Diesel Exports Dip Amid Domestic Supply Squeeze
![© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/igor-groshev-adobe-stock-127572.jpeg)
China's diesel exports fell in October after a rebound the previous month as refiners diverted more supplies to the domestic market to make up for a supply squeeze following months of production curbs.China shipped abroad 560,000 tonnes of diesel last month, down 74% from the same period last year and down from 780,000 tonnes in September, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Thursday.Chinese refiners cut fuel output in the third quarter because of COVID-19 curbs and floods
Winter Weather, US Port Labor are Wild Cards in Shipping -Hapag-Lloyd
![(Photo: Hapag-Lloyd)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-hapaglloyd-127570.jpg)
The shipping industry may face unexpected risks from labor negotiations in western U.S. ports and winter weather in the northern hemisphere over the next few months, the head of German container firm Hapag-Lloyd said on Thursday."Winter can have a significant impact on shipping," Chief Executive Rolf Habben Jansen said in an online call with reporters, adding the weather conditions looked normal so far."The other thing are the labour negotiations on the U.S.
Chevron, Exxon Among Top Spenders at Biden Offshore Auction
![Illustration - Credit: scandamerican/AdobeStock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/stration-credit-scandamericanadobestock-127568.jpg)
U.S. oil majors Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp were among the top buyers at a federal auction of oil leases in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday that generated more than $190 million - the highest since 2019.The auction was a boon for federal coffers, but a potential setback for the climate policies of U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration tried to suspend federal lease sales to fight…
Rem Offshore Picks Kongsberg's Vessel Insight for Offshore Wind Fleet
![Credit: Kongsberg Digital](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/credit-kongsberg-digital-127566.jpg)
Offshore vessel operator Rem Offshore has selected Vessel Insight from Kongsberg Digital to collect vital data from its three new offshore wind vessels, currently under construction.The first vessel will be completed at Green Yard Kleven in November, while the other two are under construction at Vard, with completion in 2023 and 2024, respectively.By installing the infrastructure service Vessel Insight…
UAE, Israel to Jointly Design Unmanned Military, Commercial Vessels
![Credit: EDGE](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/credit-edge-127564.jpg)
Emirati and Israeli state-owned weapons makers on Thursday signed a strategic agreement in Dubai to jointly design unmanned vessels capable of carrying out anti-submarine warfare.United Arab Emirates defense conglomerate EDGE and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced the partnership on the final day of the biennial Dubai Airshow.In a joint statement, the firms said they would design the "170…